SHOCHU wanna grab brunch?

July 12, 2008|By M. Kathleen Pratt, the metromix dining producer

The scene: Brunch at Shochu was kind of like a second date we weren't sure we wanted to go on. The dinner we'd had a few weeks earlier was fine -- nothing more, nothing less. There were a couple of not-so-good dishes and only one or two real winners. We just didn't feel that spark.

So we left thinking we weren't right for each other. Maybe it was us; maybe it was Shochu. Or maybe -- just maybe -- dinner wasn't Shochu's thing. Turns out it was the latter. At brunch, which launched four weeks ago, we got to know a different side of this Lakeview spot.

Of course, Shochu probably would have gone on just fine without us. It certainly has a couple of things going for it.

For starters, the back patio is one of the neighborhood's better options, with cute black wicker chairs gathered around mod white-topped tables.

And then there's the namesake shochu, a smooth, clear Japanese liquor distilled from barley, sweet potatoes or rice. The shochu seems to be a big draw for the twenty- and thirtysomething Lakeview residents who fill the place in the evenings. It figures into most of the cocktails -- including brunch options like the super-smooth bloody mary ($6) -- and you also can order it straight.

The cuisine: Shochu touts Asian-influenced plates -- think pear-ginger French toast with sesame whipped cream ($7) or a grilled maitake mushroom ($12) omelet -- and the East-meets-West ingredients make for some happy surprises. Our red curry shrimp scramble ($10) defied expectations (could eggs, shrimp and curry really work?), hitting just the right note for one of the best brunch dishes we've had in a long time.

Sushi also is available, with a few breakfast maki thrown in among more traditional options such as spicy tuna ($8) and kampachi-scallion ($8). Our Hungryman futomaki ($10), thick with kurobuta pork sausage, scrambled eggs and fried potatoes, scored points for originality, and we loved that it arrived with spicy-sweet banana ketchup for dipping.

We're glad we gave Shochu a second chance. Who knows? There may even be another date in our future.